OK. Now this may sound like one of those stupid Ugly American questions. I travel somewhat for my work and found out today that I may need to be in China for work in about 1 month for 10 days. I am also a Christian, and every time I travel, I always carry my Bible. I recently went to Vegas for work and sure enough I carried my Bible proudly walking off the plane. I carry what one would call a "preacher's Bible" because it not small. My question is, what are the chances of it being taken away from me in China by customs. I would not want to lose and have no intention of giving it away. Just a thought. Any advice?

I would say that there is no chance of your Bible being taken from you by Chinese customs. There is no chance of your Bible being taken from you even in you are preaching on the streets and actively trying to convert people. While you may be taken away, your Bible would go with you....really unless you are actively doing missionary work or protesting against religious restrictions in the PRC you won't have any issues. Whether or not this should bother you is perhaps another question.

Now the US State Department's website says "Chinese customs authorities may enforce strict regulations concerning temporary importation into ...China of items such as ... religious literature.... It is advisable to contact the Embassy of China in Washington or one of China’s consulates in the United States for specific information regarding customs requirements." Please refer to http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_p.../cis_1089.html. The US State Dept naturally tends to err on the side of caution, but if you wish to do follow their advice, the website for the Chinese embassy in the US is www.china-embassy.org. You'll need to get a visa anyway, so the website will be useful for that purpose.

The odds of your bible being confiscated are very low (perhaps unreasonably so). The Chinese have a good sense of humour and are fairly tolerant of personal eccentricities.

I trust the assembled sinners at Las Vegas airport (at least those at the departure gates) were inspired by your ostentatious display of Christian piety. The Chinese, God bless 'em, aren't likely to be.

If you're still worried about losing your big fat bible I suggest you nick a Gideons version from the next motel room you stay in, and take that.

There is organized Christianity in China and presumably they use Bibles. I don't think you'll have a problem, especially if your bible is in English. Are you planning to proselytize or form a missionary group? Import a large quantity a bibles? That's the kind of activity that will get you in trouble.

It's a very similar situation to a Chinese national visiting the USA. If he gets off the plane with a copy of Mao's Little Red Book, then reads the book nightly and leaves it on his hotel room nightstand, no one is likely to bat an eyelash. But if he goes to Tulsa and starts preaching about the virtues of Communism, he may well receive some attention. (OK, maybe the analogy is 20 years off-kilter, so substitute "Iranian" and "Koran" for "Chinese" and "Mao's little red book.&quot

Rizutto, I think you need to do a little more reading up on religious persecution by the state in the PRC, because your analogy is not correct. There is very little freedom of religion in the PRC, it is tolerated to some extent as long as it does not interfere with the government's overall control. If the OP were to stand on a corner in Beijing and start preaching in an effort to convert people there is a very good chance he will be arrested, or at the very least hustled off by police and deported. Unless the Bill of Rights has been changed recently, if someone stands on a street corner in Tulsa and reads from the Koran or Mao's little red book, he might draw attention and comments from others, but he would NOT be arrested or hustled off by the police.

I am not saying not to travel to the PRC and lots of nations have lots of restrictive practices, but the OP, whether or not he is a legitimate, raises a legitimate issue. Take a look at http://hrw.org/english/docs/2006/03/01/china12740.htm for a start. You should Google "Falun Gong" for some interesting articles.

I think it is pathetic for the smart alec ramarks that have been given to the person asking a perfectly legitimate question on this board. As usual even in America, the Christian person is being persecuted.

I was thinking of going to China over spring break but I changed my plans and went elsewhere in Asia. However I also travel with my Bible, and it is a good thing because all I found in my last destination in the Hotel was *the teachings of buddah*. Everyone should have their right to religion and I for one am sick and tired of the religious persecution taking place ESPECIALLY IN AMERICA!!!

dpa31498: God Bless you and keep carrying you Bible. If it is ever taken away, pray to our Lord that it helps someone find Him.

Happy and safe travels to all,
April

Whether dba31498 is a god-botherer or a troll is open to doubt. But April, as a matter of historical fact I think you'll find that Christians have usually been found on the other end of whatever persecution has been going on. However, you seem to have a very elastic definition of what constitutes "persecution" if you've managed to sniff it out in the United States of all places. Personally, I make a point of not persecuting Christians or anyone else when I visit the US, whatever the provocation.

As I pointed out in another thread, you need to know something of Chinese history to understand their attitude to Christian proselytisers, who were seen, often accurately, as agents of the Western colonial powers who among other things ran the opium trade.

It's a pity you didn't read "The Teachings of Buddha", as it might have opened your mind a little. Oh, sorry. I guess that comment counts as "persecution".

Seriously....would Customs even know that what you're carrying is a Bible????.....and not just some other book????

1. The idea that Christians are being persecuted in the United States is beyond absurd. There's a man occupying our Whitehouse right now who actually believes God told him to start a war.
2. The titles of all books, including holy books, should be capitalized.
3. If anyone really cares, Human Rights Watch has some interesting articles on the latest from Beijing regarding religion.
4. dba31498's question does not appear to be sincere. Most travellers don't want to carry anything large if there is a lighter, smaller version available. Besides, a true evangelical Christian would purposely carry a Bible that she could give away.
5. Buddha was a great teacher who left a legacy of peace and acceptance that many of us could learn from, especially if the only religion we have ever studied is Christianity.
6. I think the Bill of Rights still applies to US citizens, but we do refuse visas to people whose ideas are "contrary to the interests of our government"- some artists, writers, human rights workers, and a few communists.
7. Travel is so enlightening.

Thanks, katt58. Yes, there have been plenty of earlier examples of rulers who thought God was sending them instructions to kill people. The results were always very messy.

The nice thing about Buddhists is that they don't seem to feel a need to convert the rest of us, and unlike some religions I could name they don't think they have a monopoly on truth.

dba has made several non-bible posts previously, so I guess he/she isn't a troll. You can certainly take a bible into China, but there is no need to be so ostentatious about it. There is a difference between witnessing and showboating. Every bible store carries a wide variety of compact bibles suitable for traveling, even in large print formats in case it's your eyesight that makes you carry the big version.

Thanks, BTilke - I should have thought to check before shooting off my mouth. Apologies, dba.

To address the original question directly, I'd estimate the chance of having a Bible confiscated by Chinese customs as pretty close to zero. The Chinese authorities aren't fanatically anti-religious, just sensitive (maybe over-sensitive) to possible threats to their authority. I'm sure they're much more concerned about Falun Gong than any Christian sect - Christianity has never held much appeal to the Chinese.

I think, therefore I might be!

Seriously, I think you should read up a little on Chinese history before you go to China. (Shouldn't we all read a bit about the history of the country we are planning to visit?)

If you did, you will find that it was a Chinese "Christian", who led the Taiping Rebellion in the mid-19th century. This rebellion led to a bloodbath where at least 20-30 million people died, resulting in a most traumatic experience for the country, to say the least. The leader of the rebellion, Hung Hsiu-chuan, claimed he was the younger brother of Jesus.

Now, in this century, along come the Falung Gong.

These kinds of "Christians" would leave a bad taste in any country's mouth.

If you have read the history of Chinese "Christians" (without even touching on the role of the Westerners) and you still don't understand why the Chinese authorities are "sensitve" to Christians, then you shouldn't go to China to wave your huge Bible around. You are just asking for trouble.

The Chinese aren't used to people telling them which god to believe in. Religion in present day China is a very private thing. Witness the number of young and old burning incense in any temple you go to. There IS a lot of religious freedom now in China, more so than in the Mao years.

If you are carrying your Bible for quiet, private worship - why should you fear the authorities? They have more pressing things to worry about these days - such as where to get more gas for their growing economy.